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Monthly Archives: August 2015

Makena Resort has been under new ownership since the 2010 bankruptcy of the Dowling partnership. The new owners (ATC Makena) have partnered with Discovery Land, a high end resort developer, to gain permits to close the Makena Resort Hotel and repurpose it into a “members only” spa and resort condos (2014).

The partnership and Discovery Lands are now proposing to continue the “members only theme” and create an exclusive resort neighborhood of around 150 luxury units and a number of commercial units on 47 acres directly across from Makena Landing and Makena Bay.

The proposed project map shows 26 “custom estates” , 20 “canoe cottages” around a pool and clubhouse, 10 single family Transient Vacation Rental units and 14 condo buildings with a total of 86 units in 6 to 8 unit clusters on the steep hillside site.

Previous proposals by Dowling company were for around 40 individual estates on one acre lots on the same land.

Maui Tomorrow is part of a community advisory process with Makena Resort. Maui Tomorrow is concerned about drainage, cultural site and water quality impacts; potable water supply; traffic impacts and loss of the iconic Makena-Ulupalakua Road.

The developer of the proposed 1150 unit housing and 100,000 sq. ft commercial development on 670 acres adjoining Maui Meadows has informed state and federal wildlife biologists and State Historic Preservation Office that a 130 acre preserve will be created in the southern portion of the land to protect rare and endangered flora and fauna and thousands of archaeological sites.

Additional areas will also be left undeveloped along natural gulches, totaling over another 100 acres.

Maui Tomorrow volunteers, working with native Hawaiian group, Maui Cultural Lands, have been monitoring populations or endangered awikiwiki plants on the property, and have recorded several new populations over the past few rainier years.

Maui Tomorrow ally, Sierra Club Maui, challenged the project’s Environmental Impact Statement in 2013, and the project is on hold while settlement negotiations are finalized in that challenge.

If a settlement is finalized, the project will be free to move forward to complete its Phase II Project District approval at Maui Planning Commission.

This is the last review of the proposed development where public input is involved.

250 units of the Wailea 670/ Honua’ula affordable housing is required to be offsite on land that was once part of the proposed Piilani Promenade (“Kihei Mega Mall”) development which Maui Tomorrow has challenged.

Maui Tomorrow is asking that the entire 88 acre site where the Wailea 670 affordable housing and “Mega Mall” commercial development is proposed follow the conditions set during its 1995 Land Use Commission (LUC) approval. That matter is still before the LUC.